Job overview

Are you someone who enjoys working with people and thrives in a role that offers variety and impact? Join our dynamic Point of Care Testing (POCT) Team as an Associate Practitioner, supporting both hospital-based and community healthcare settings.

In this role, you’ll play a key part in delivering high-quality diagnostic services. You’ll assist the POCT Manager with audits of equipment and service users, and take the lead in training Trust staff on the correct use of POCT instruments and interfaces. You’ll also carry out a range of protocol-driven tasks—some of which may be specialist or complex procedures. These tasks, once performed exclusively by regulated professionals such as Biomedical Scientists, can now be undertaken by trained associates under supervision, thanks to technological advancements and focused scopes of practice.

You’ll work largely independently, collaborating with other healthcare professionals to support routine Secondary Care procedures in both Primary and Secondary Care environments.

Your primary base will be St. Thomas’ Hospital, with regular time spent at the Guy’s site and visits to Community and Outreach Teams.

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Technical 

• Perform routine maintenance, calibration, and first-line troubleshooting of POCT instruments and analysers.
• Ensure quality control procedures are followed; report failures and take corrective action.
• Safely set up equipment and process EQA specimens using automated, semi-automated, and manual methods.
• Analyse straightforward technical issues and make informed judgments.
• File samples and maintain accurate records.
• Support clinics and satellite labs with equipment installation and user training.
  
  Administrative
• Follow and contribute to the review of SOPs.
• Maintain accurate records in compliance with UKAS standards.
• Manage stock of reagents, consumables, and stationery.
• Liaise with GP surgeries, clinics, and other departments.
• Assist with procurement documentation and work file management.
• Support EQA schemes and OPMS data entry and reporting.
  
  Communication
• Communicate effectively with staff, adapting methods as needed.
• Act as first point of contact for complaints and queries.
• Coordinate training and equipment support

Supervisory

• Implement and propose updates to POCT policies.
• Deliver POCT training and workplace assessments to GSTT staff and healthcare professionals.
• Participate in audits of hospital and community POCT procedures.
  
  Generic
• Ensure compliance with data protection and health & safety policies.
• Organize daily tasks and escalate service-impacting issues proactively.
• Collaborate with community healthcare providers to ensure high-quality care.
• Uphold equality, fairness, and the professional image of Synnovis Pathology.
• Complete training, competency assessments, and annual appraisals.
• Undertake all mandatory and statutory training as required.

Working for our organisation

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.

The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is a major emergency and specialist teaching Trust which has all the specialities associated with a fascinating and career-defining caseload, including: Women's Services, Foetal Medicine, Haematology, Oncology, Transplantation, and is also home to the Evelina Children's Hospital and the Cancer Centre on Guy's site.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Technical Duties

• Perform routine operative and preventative maintenance on POCT instruments and analysers.
• Undertake first-line calibration and basic troubleshooting of analytical equipment.
• Ensure quality control procedures are followed; take corrective action and report failures to senior staff.
• Safely set up equipment for use by others and support clinics with installation and training.
• Process EQA specimens using automated, semi-automated, and manual methods.
• Analyse straightforward scientific and technical issues, evaluating options and making informed decisions.
• File samples according to protocol and maintain accurate records.
  
  Administrative Duties
• Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and contribute to their regular review and updates.
  
• Maintain accurate and compliant records for UKAS accreditation.
  
• Manage stock levels of reagents, consumables, and stationery to ensure uninterrupted service.
  
• Liaise with GP surgeries, hospital clinics, and other departments to support POCT operations.
  
• Assist with procurement processes, including logging and filing delivery documentation.
  
• Ensure timely reporting of results through effective work file management.
  
• Support EQA schemes by distributing samples, collecting data, and collating results.
  
• Contribute to Operational Performance Management Systems (OPMS) by collecting and entering relevant data.
  
   Communication Responsibilities
• Communicate effectively with staff and team members, adapting methods to meet individual needs.
  
• Act as the first point of contact for complaints and queries related to POCT services.
  
• Liaise with Trust staff to address training and equipment enquiries promptly and professionally.
  
   Supervisory & Training Responsibilities
  
• Implement new policies and propose changes within Synnovis and community-based POCT areas.
  
• Deliver POCT training to GSTT staff, including conducting workplace assessments.
  
• Provide instruction on POCT procedures to healthcare professionals as directed by the POCT Biomedical Scientists.
• Participate in audits of POCT processes across hospital and community settings.
• Promote effective teamwork and maintain positive working relationships with all staff.
  
  Generic Responsibilities
• Ensure compliance with local and national policies for the secure and confidential handling of patient and laboratory data, in line with SOPs and Synnovis quality standards.
  
• Organize daily tasks independently and prioritize urgent duties.
  
• Proactively escalate issues that may impact service delivery to senior colleagues at Synnovis and GSTT.
  
• Collaborate with community healthcare providers to deliver high-quality care.
  
• Uphold principles of equality and fairness in all professional interactions.
  
• Provide practical training in procedures to new staff within own area.
  
• Maintain and promote the professional image of Synnovis Pathology.
  
• Undertake initial training and competency assessments as required.
  
• Maintain knowledge and skills through participation in the annual appraisal cycle.
  
• Adhere to health and safety policies and complete all mandatory and statutory training as directed.